Pacific Northwest scientist receives international honor

RICHLAND, Wash. –
Jean Futrell, director of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), has received the Erwin Schrödinger Gold Medal for his lifetime achievements in the field of mass spectrometry, especially applications to ion-molecule reactions. The prestigious award was presented earlier this month at the Symposium on Atomic and Surface Physics (SASP) in Folgaria, Italy.

EMSL, a multiprogram user facility, is located at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.

"Being chosen to receive this award is a singular honor," said Futrell.

The selection of Futrell was praised by Adrian Roberts, interim director at Pacific Northwest. "This award to Dr. Futrell is richly deserved and is another indication of the quality of the scientists at Pacific Northwest. We are very proud of Dr. Futrell," said Roberts.

The SASP award "for outstanding scientific achievement" was established in 1992. It was named in honor of Erwin Schrödinger, an Austrian physicist who developed some of the most important principles of quantum mechanics. Nominations are solicited prior to the biennial SASP conference and the recipient is selected by the International Scientific Committee.

According to SASP, Futrell was singled out for the honor "for his outstanding contributions to the field of Mass Spectrometry and its Applications to Ion-Molecule Reactions, a subject that has been in the center of interest of SASP since its beginning."

In addition to the gold medal and framed certificate that were presented to him, the SASP conference book of papers for 2000 was dedicated to Futrell.

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,300 staff and has an annual budget of more than $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. As the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.